U.S. Navy may increase Black Sea patrols – Admiral

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From RT

December 7, 2016

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun © Stoyan Nenov

Washington may send more ships to the Black Sea in order to extend the amount of time they can patrol the area, according to a senior US Navy officer.

The US has sent a string of warships into the Black Sea since the Ukraine crisis broke out in 2014, and NATO refused to recognize Crimea’s reunification with Moscow or Russia’s military presence on the peninsula.

“It depends on whether or not the challenges in the region become more or less urgent,” Vice Admiral James G. Foggo III told Sputnik on Wednesday, on the margins of the Defense Forum 2016, organized by the US Naval Institute in Washington, DC. “Obviously, when things become more intense you see the presence of additional ships.”

‘I don’t need war’: Bulgarian PM rules out joining NATO flotilla in Black Sea

Extending the length of US operations would require additional ships, since the 1936 Montreux Convention limits vessels of outside states to 21 consecutive days in the Black Sea.

NATO has floated the possibility of setting up a “Black Sea flotilla” to get around the restriction, but Romania was not keen on the idea, while Bulgaria has rejected it outright.

“We probably had a US Navy warship in there under a US flag, bilateral or multilateral operations about third of the year, NATO is in there operating about a third of the year, and the Russian Federation Navy is putting more assets in there and things are getting more crowded,” said the admiral.

Foggo became the Director of Navy Staff last month, having previously served as commander of the US Sixth Fleet and deputy commander of US Naval Forces Europe. He commanded the NATO maritime task force during the 2011 intervention in Libya.

During his presentation at the Defense Forum, Foggo said the Navy’s top current challenges were “Russians, Radicals and Refugees.”

“We have to remain vigilant,” Foggo told the conference, noting that the Russian navy had “some very effective weapon systems.”

“They’re out there and they’re pretty good,” he said.

By way of example, Foggo mentioned the incident in April 2016, when two Russian fighters buzzed the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea. Senior US officers in NATO hurried to declassify the video of the event so they could seize the moral high ground in the “YouTube wars” and accuse the Russians of unprofessional and reckless behavior, he explained.

During the 6th Fleet’s BALTOPS 2016 maneuvers, two Russian corvettes shadowed the 49 NATO ships, appearing on the sides of the group photo taken by the alliance’s public relations officers. Foggo recounted declining the offer to edit the Russians out, joking that the photo could serve as proof he commanded a force of “more than 50 ships.”

https://www.rt.com/usa/369555-navy-black-sea-patrols/

Russia ‘prevented’ potential NATO launch of 624 cruise missiles against Syria – Defense Minister

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From RT

August 15, 2016

Moscow’s actions following the Syrian chemical weapons attack in 2013 could as well have saved the country from a possible massive strike by NATO forces, Sergey Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister, said. Such a strike could have involved over 600 cruise missiles, he added.

“What would’ve happened if our president [Vladimir Putin] failed to be convincing and implement the idea of surrendering and destroying the chemical weapons? If we only talk about cruise missiles … 624 cruise missiles, as far as I remember, were prepared to carry out a massive strike against Syria within 24 hours,” Shoigu told state television channel Rossiya-24.

Main results of Syria truces: Terrorists add 7,000 to ranks, get arms & munitions – Lavrov

It would’ve been “very hard” to restore the Syrian state structure after such a large-scale attack, he said.

Back in 2013, US President, Barack Obama, authorized strikes against Syria, blaming Assad’s government for a sarin gas attack on a rebel-held suburb of Damascus.

But Russia’s involvement managed to avert NATO attacking the county as Moscow brokered a deal, during which Syria renounced its chemical weapons arsenal and joined the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.

In terms of current events in Syria, Shoigu said that Russia and the US are in direct talks aimed at the resolution of the crisis in Aleppo.

He expressed hope that this would help to ensure “peace at this long-suffering land and allow the people to finally return to their homes.”

…

https://www.rt.com/news/356054-russia-nato-strike-syria/

US provoking China into nuclear war? RT to air new Pilger documentary

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From RT

https://www.rt.com/news/369577-us-provoking-china-nuclear-war/video/

Nuclear war is no longer unthinkable as it may be provoked by a US military build-up in the Pacific, clearly aimed at confronting Beijing, John Pilger says in his new documentary ‘The Coming War on China’, set to be aired on rt.com and the RTD channel.

According to the BAFTA-winning journalist and filmmaker, mainstream media reports of Beijing’s ambitious expansion and reclaiming of land in the South China Sea is in fact a response to US military activity around its borders.

US President Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia in 2011 has resulted in the construction of 400 American bases, including in Guam, elsewhere in the South China Sea, South Korea and Japan – thereby encircling China.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/191985092

Together they form what Pilger called in his film “a noose around China,” which is made of missiles, warships and nuclear weapons.

China No. 1 close reconnaissance target for US – think tank

“The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Barack Obama, has committed trillions of dollars to our nuclear arsenal. He’s committing trillions of future dollars to war in space. And we need an enemy for all this money and China is the perfect enemy,” James Bradley, author of China Mirage, says in the documentary.

The media is playing a key role in promoting this idea as “the threat of China is becoming big news,”Pilger states in ‘The Coming War on China’, adding that what is not reported is that China itself is under threat.

The award winning journalist recently appeared on RT’s Going Underground program, saying how dangerous US attempts to provoke China really are.

“The point about all of this is that, I don’t think anyone wants a nuclear war or even a war between great powers like the US and China. But what’s happening here is that laying of ground, a landscape of potential mistakes and accidents,” Pilger told host Afshin Rattansi.

“So, we’re back to that almost estranged Stranglove world that we were worried about,” he added, referring to Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 movie ‘Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,’ which satirizes the threat of nuclear conflict between the US and Soviet Union.

The documentary contains Pilger’s interview with US Assistant Secretary of State, Daniel R. Russel, who states that the American presence in the Pacific is “is warmly welcomed by the vast majority of the coastal states” and “is fully accepted by the Chinese.”

Which, according to Pilger, is far from the truth. “My impression is that they are scared,” he says.

“We stand at a few minutes to midnight in terms of the threat of nuclear war. That aim of this film is to break a science. A nuclear war is no longer unthinkable,” Pilger said of his documentary.

Watch ‘The Coming War on China’ film on December 9, 10, 11 on RT.com and RT’s documentary channel RTD.

https://www.rt.com/news/369577-us-provoking-china-nuclear-war/

“We beg for your forgiveness”: Veterans join Native elders in celebration ceremony (VIDEO)

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Truly astonishing video.

Background; On Sunday, December 4, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that it is blocking the Dakota Access pipeline route. Veterans have been travelling to North Dakota to stand with the water protectors.

From Salon

By Charlie May
December 5, 2016

Wes Clark Jr., the son of retired U.S. Army general and former supreme commander at NATO Wesley Clark Sr., was part of a group of veterans at Standing Rock one day after the Army Corps announcement. The veterans joined Native American tribal elders in a ceremony celebrating the Dakota Access Pipeline easement denial.

Lakota spiritual leader and medicine man Chief Leonard Crow Dog and Standing Rock Sioux spokeswoman Phyllis Young were among several Native elders who spoke, thanking the veterans for standing in solidarity during the protests.

Clark got into formation by rank, with his veterans, and knelt before the elders asking for their forgiveness for the long brutal history between the United States and Native Americans:

“Many of us, me particularly, are from the units that have hurt you over the many years. We came. We fought you. We took your land. We signed treaties that we broke. We stole minerals from your sacred hills. We blasted the faces of our presidents onto your sacred mountain. When we took still more land and then we took your children and then we tried to make your language and we tried to eliminate your language that God gave you, and the Creator gave you. We didn’t respect you, we polluted your Earth, we’ve hurt you in so many ways but we’ve come to say that we are sorry. We are at your service and we beg for your forgiveness.”

Chief Leonard Crow Dog offered forgiveness and urged for world peace: “We do not own the land, the land owns us.”

Despite the positive news, there is more work to do. “The black snake has never stopped and if they didn’t stop at desecrating our graves of our ancestors, they’ll stop at nothing.” Young said. “So there will be a motion filed by the Energy Transfer today to continue the pipeline … We are a peaceful movement, but we may have to make a move to protect our territory.”

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/05/we-beg-for-your-forgiveness-veterans-join-native-elders-in-celebration-ceremony/

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Interview with German MP Sahra Wagenknecht (VIDEO)

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From Sophie Co. — RT

December 4, 2016

https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/369194-germany-merkel-public-discontent/video/

With Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential race putting the prospects for transatlantic cooperation in jeopardy, EU leaders are now bracing for change. With Washington promising to focus on internal affairs, Berlin may now have to play the lead among its Western allies. Angela Merkel is planning to run for a fourth term as German Chancellor, and is seen by many as a beacon of stability in turbulent times. But as the country struggles with an influx of refugees, and public discontent grows, will non-establishment candidates be able to take on Germany’s ruling party? We ask the parliamentary leader of the Left Party – Sahra Wagenknecht.

Sophie Shevardnadze: Chancellor Angela Merkel will be running for a fourth term, but in regional elections, Merkel’s CDU party has suffered defeat. Will the Germans vote for the stability that comes with Merkel, or will they vote for change?

Sahra Wagenknecht: I wouldn’t say that Chancellor Merkel represents stability. Merkel has brought even greater social inequality to our country. There are a lot of people who feel that politicians have abandoned them, that we are moving away from democracy. But the problem is, there are no strong candidates within the Social Democratic Party, so the risk is quite real that Chancellor Merkel will remain in office for another four years. I think that most people in this country do not want things to “stay the same”.

SS: There is growing support in your country for the Eurosceptic party Alternative for Germany – AfD. Do they stand any real chance of becoming part of the coalition government and influencing public policy?

SW: Well, I don’t think Alternative for Germany will become part of the next government. But you’re right, Alternative for Germany is, indeed, becoming stronger. It has made some very significant gains in recent regional elections, but not so much because people support the position of the AfD – it is chiefly because they were disappointed with the other parties.

It looks to them as if politicians don’t really care about their interests, and so many believe that by choosing Alternative for Germany they can express their anger, their frustration, and protest. In other words, for many people, a vote given to Alternative for Germany is a way to express their disappointment, not a sign that they wholeheartedly support the idea of AfD defining Germany’s politics. I don’t see them achieving that much, but I fear that they will have a much stronger representation in the next Bundestag.

SS: Der Spiegel wrote that during his visit to Berlin, the outgoing American President Barack Obama personally led the campaign in support of Merkel. Can Merkel be considered a successor to American policies in Europe?

SW: Well, she has always been a very successful proponent of American policy. She always believed that her function is to acknowledge and recognise American hegemony, the hegemony of the United States, meaning that it should ALWAYS be recognised. We do not know of any case in which Merkel has raised any objections against American policy, including military action both with NATO and without it.

I mean the military action that took place under American leadership, and in which Merkel played her part, and, therefore, Germany did, too. The most recent example of this is Syria. So, there has always been a close relationship between Chancellor Merkel and Obama and, unfortunately, she has never said anything critical with regards to the United States. When German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed a different view, for example, when he criticised NATO maneuvers in Eastern Europe, in those cases, of course, Mrs. Merkel always kept silent. There has always been a kind of alignment with the United States, as well as a need for American approval.

SS: According to the New York Times, Angela Merkel is the Liberal West’s Last Defender. If Trump focuses on America’s domestic issues, will Berlin become a beacon for the West? Maybe it’s time for Merkel to become the “Leader of the Free World”?

SW: I have no idea what “the free world” means. I mean, lately, America has been engaged in many military operations in violation of international law. They have not been defending freedom and democracy; they have been using their drones in war zones to kill people, which is a gross violation of international law. So I wouldn’t use such terms lightly.

I also don’t think we should be praising Angela Merkel too much. Germany today should not be pursuing hegemonic goals. On the contrary, many European countries feel that the EU nations are disconnected because Chancellor Merkel is acting on her own again and again without consulting her European partners, so they are not happy about it. So I believe it would be a mistake for Germany to pursue hegemony today.

Continue reading →

U.S. House of Representatives quietly passes bill targeting “Russian propaganda” websites

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By Tyler Durden

Global Research, December 03, 2016

Zero Hedge 2 December 2016

On November 30, one week after the Washington Post launched its witch hunt against “Russian propaganda fake news”, with 390 votes for, the House quietly passed “H.R. 6393, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017“, sponsored by California Republican Devin Nunes (whose third largest donor in 2016 is Google parent Alphabet, Inc), a bill which deals with a number of intelligence-related issues, including Russian propaganda, or what the government calls propaganda, and hints at a potential crackdown on “offenders.”

A quick skim of the bill reveals “Title V—Matters relating to foreign countries”, whose Section 501 calls for the government to “counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence … carried out in coordination with, or at the behest of, political leaders or the security services of the Russian Federation and the role of the Russian Federation has been hidden or not acknowledged publicly.”

The section lists the following definitions of media manipulation:

Establishment or funding of a front group.
Covert broadcasting.
Media manipulation.
Disinformation and forgeries.
Funding agents of influence.
Incitement and offensive counterintelligence.
Assassinations.
Terrorist acts.

As ActivistPost correctly notes, it is easy to see how this law, if passed by the Senate and signed by the president, could be used to target, threaten, or eliminate so-called “fake news” websites, a list which has been used to arbitrarily define any website, or blog, that does not share the mainstream media’s proclivity to serve as the Public Relations arm of a given administration.

Curiously, the bill which was passed on November 30, was introduced on November 22, two days beforethe Washington Post published its Nov. 24 article citing “experts” who claim Russian propaganda helped Donald Trump get elected.

As we reported last week, in an article that has been widely blasted, the WaPo wrote that “two teams of independent researchers found that the Russians exploited American-made technology platforms to attack U.S. democracy at a particularly vulnerable moment, as an insurgent candidate harnessed a wide range of grievances to claim the White House. The sophistication of the Russian tactics may complicate efforts by Facebook and Google to crack down on “fake news,” as they have vowed to do after widespread complaints about the problem.”

The newspaper cited PropOrNot, an anonymous website that posted a hit list of alternative media websites, including Zero Hedge, Drudge Report, Activist Post, Blacklisted News, the Ron Paul Report, and many others. Glenn Greenwald penned an appropriate response two days later in “Washington Post Disgracefully Promotes a McCarthyite Blacklist From a New, Hidden, and Very Shady Group.”

PropOrNot has pushed a conspiratorial thesis, without any actual proof, that the listed websites have been either used directly or covertly by the Russians to spread propaganda.

While the bill passed the House with a sweeping majority, it is unknown if and when the bill will work its way through the Senate and be passed into law, although one would think that it has far higher chances of passing under president Obama than the President-Elect. It is also unclear if it will be used to shut down websites anonymously characterized as “useful idiots” or subversive elements used in disseminating supposed Russian propaganda.

Those interested can read the full “H.R. 6393: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017″ at the following location” bill that may soon proclaim much of the internet to be criminal “Russian propaganda” at the following link.

The original source of this article is Zero Hedge

http://www.globalresearch.ca/house-quietly-passes-bill-targeting-russian-propaganda-websites/5560100

DPR forces beat back Ukrainian offensive on southern front

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From Fort Russ

November 26, 2016 – Fort Russ News –

RusVesna reports – translated by J. Arnoldski –

Active hostilities broke out this morning near the residential area of Sakhanka. This has been reported by a representative of the Donetsk People’s Republic’s operational command from the scene of events.

The Ukrainian armed forces and volunteer battalions, including no less than three platoons and supported by artillery, attempted to go on the offensive from the direction of Dzerzhinskoye (called Azov in Ukraine).

The attack was repulsed by the armed forces of the DPR and the enemy lost no less than 5 soldiers and 8 wounded. A UAF APC was also hit.

Fighting also erupted near Shirokino, where the Ukrainian side attempted to attack the DPR’s positions on the southern front. The operational command of the DPR reported: “At 10:00 on November 26th, the enemy, with forces of up to three platoons of personnel and supported by armored vehicles under the cover of 82mm and 122mm mortar fire from Shirokino, attempted to attack our positions near the village of Vodyanoe. Over the course of the firefight, the enemy was stopped and driven back to their original positions.”

The escalation of fighting began yesterday after Ukrainian Interior Minister Avakov’s statement that Kiev’s occupation forces could seize Donbass in two years. This is not the first unsuccessful attempt by Kiev to break through the DPR’s line of defense on the southern front in recent time. On November 23rd, 5 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 7 were wounded in a similar unsuccessful attempt.

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/11/dpr-forces-beat-back-ukrainian.html

Aleppo offensive: SAA liberates half of E. Aleppo, water supply to residents restored

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From Fort Russ

November 28, 2016 – Fort Russ News –

RusVesna – translated by J. Arnoldski –

The Syrian army has just taken complete control over the Sheikh Khader and Sheikh faris districts of Aleppo. Engineering units have begun de-mining the neighborhoods.

“The Syrian army and its allies have liberated more than 20 out of the 45 square kilometers of Eastern Aleppo and taken the huge square of blocs east of the city. The SAA already controls almost half of the entire territory of eastern Aleppo,” the press service of the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, has reported in addition to publishing fresh maps.

In the districts taken by the army, sweeping operations and non-intensive firefights are still ongoing. Most likely, a portion of militants were unable to flee the seized districts along with the bulk of bandits.

Another important victory has since been reported: SAA units attacking from two sides have finally met at and retaken the most important water pumping station, Suleiman al-Halabi.

The Syrian Arab Republic’s army has thus liberated the largest water station and its massive water action pumps. Now the problem of the city’s water supply can be resolved, and water will be provided to residents’ apartments 24 hours a day. Earlier, the militants controlling the pumping station blocked the water flow and threatened to blow it up to blackmail the government.

Technicians have already begun repairing the station to restore it to full operation.

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/11/aleppo-offensive-saa-liberates-half-of.html

Russia: USA supports chemical weapons (VIDEO)

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From Fort Russ

November 27th, 2016 – Fort Russ News –
Various – Translated by Inessa Sinchougova

The West’s fake wars in the Middle East are nothing new, but it is not well known that during the Clinton presidential campaign, a Pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist by the name of Seymour Hersch released a terrifying article – “Whose Sarin?” While it was largely swept under the rug by mainstream media, the findings confirm that Hillary Clinton not only knew of the rebels’ posession of chemical weapons in Libya, but that she authorised their use, in her capacity as Secretary of State. Later, the same kind of weapons would be blamed on Assad in Syria, in order to topple his government.

Based on Mr Lavrov’s press conference in recent days, it is evident that US funded chemical weapons use in Syria continue to this day.

Hersch’s article can be found here: http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/04/28/seymour-hersh-hillary-approved-sending-libya-sarin-syrian-rebels.html

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/11/russia-usa-supports-chemical-weapons.html

NATO force on Russian border ‘not a threat in any way’ – U.S. State Department

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From RT

November 22, 2016

Washington has expressed discomfort over Russia’s deployment of Iskander missiles and air defenses in Kaliningrad, saying that NATO is a “defensive alliance”and is not threatening Moscow. Meanwhile, more tanks and troops are being deployed to the Baltics.

“NATO is a defensive alliance, it’s always been a defensive alliance, it will remain a defensive alliance,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. “There is no reason why Russia should view NATO in any way, shape or form as a threat.”

On Sunday, NATO kicked off “Iron Sword 2016”exercises in Lithuania, the largest such maneuvers to date, involving 4,000 troops from across the alliance. The exercises in 2015 and 2014 involved 2,500 and 2,000 troops, respectively.

“There is no reason for anybody in Russia to feel threatened by NATO’s military activities or preparations.” Kirby continued. “In terms of recent months and years, there would have been no reason for NATO to advance and commit additional capabilities on the European continent – including American capabilities – had it not been for Russia’s move in Ukraine.”

This is in line with NATO’s official position that military activities in eastern Europe were a defensive response to alleged Russian “aggression” in Ukraine. NATO said Russia was responsible for “annexing” Crimea from Ukraine. The region voted to join the Russian Federation in March 2014, following the coup that overthrew Ukraine’s elected government.

Moscow responded to the recent NATO build-up by announcing it would deploy S-400 air defense systems and “Iskander” missile launchers to Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave containing almost one million inhabitants sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

“Russia is doing all that is necessary to protect itself amid NATO’s expansion toward its borders,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters at the Kremlin on Tuesday. “The alliance is a truly aggressive bloc, so Russia does what it has to do. It has every sovereign right to take necessary measures throughout the territory of the Russian Federation.”

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‘Russia is doing all that is necessary to protect self’ – Kremlin spokesman on deployment of missiles in Kaliningrad http://on.rt.com/7vt8

9:10 AM – 22 Nov 2016

Russia has right to defend against ‘aggressive’ NATO – Kremlin on Baltic missile placement — RT News

Russia has the right to protect itself against NATO’s eastward expansion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on the deployment of Russian ballistic missiles in the Kaliningrad Region….

rt.com

NATO’s military drill on Russia’s border comes amid preparations to permanently station 4,000 alliance troops in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, a decision made at the NATO summit in Warsaw in July.

A quarter of the force would be composed of US troops currently based in Germany, who would relocate to Poland. A 1,000-strong German-led force equipped with tanks would be deployed in Lithuania in February for the first time since WWII. The remaining 2,000 British and Canadian troops would be stationed in Estonia and Latvia.

NATO has accused Russia of “aggressive military posturing” over reports that missiles would be deployed in Kaliningrad, while on Monday Kirby called for Moscow to “refrain from words or deeds that are inconsistent with the goal of promoting security and stability.”

Established in April 1949 – six years before the Warsaw Treaty Organization – NATO ensured a permanent US presence in western Europe during the Cold War. After the dissolution of both the WTO and the Soviet Union, NATO expanded both its boundaries and its mission. On March 12, 1999, the alliance admitted the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. Twelve days later, NATO attacked Yugoslavia. After a 78-day bombing campaign, alliance troops were allowed occupy the Serbian province of Kosovo as “peacekeepers.”

Bulgaria, Romania and the Baltic states joined the alliance in March 2004, putting NATO on the shores of the Black Sea and on the western border of the Russian Federation. In March 2011, NATO launched an intervention in Libya, aiding the rebels that overthrew the government of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

https://www.rt.com/usa/367860-russia-missiles-nato-defensive/

Free Ukraine Now

Stopping US-NATO takeover of Ukraine and Russia

Author: admin

U.S. Navy may increase Black Sea patrols – Admiral

Russia ‘prevented’ potential NATO launch of 624 cruise missiles against Syria – Defense Minister

US provoking China into nuclear war? RT to air new Pilger documentary

“We beg for your forgiveness”: Veterans join Native elders in celebration ceremony (VIDEO)

Interview with German MP Sahra Wagenknecht (VIDEO)

U.S. House of Representatives quietly passes bill targeting “Russian propaganda” websites

DPR forces beat back Ukrainian offensive on southern front

Aleppo offensive: SAA liberates half of E. Aleppo, water supply to residents restored

Russia: USA supports chemical weapons (VIDEO)

NATO force on Russian border ‘not a threat in any way’ – U.S. State Department

Russia has right to defend against ‘aggressive’ NATO – Kremlin on Baltic missile placement — RT News